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2014 SESSION

14102801D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 94
Offered January 8, 2014
Prefiled January 7, 2014
Directing the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services to review current laws in Virginia that purport to assist Virginia's veterans and assess their effectiveness in meeting the needs of Virginia's veterans. Report.
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Patron-- Hugo
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Services is responsible for the establishment, operation, administration, and maintenance of offices and programs related to services for Virginia-domiciled veterans of the armed forces of the United States and their eligible spouses, orphans, and dependents; and

WHEREAS, Virginia's veterans deserve our best efforts, considering their sacrifices for the freedom and liberty we hold so dear; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, many Virginia laws have been enacted to streamline government bureaucracy in processing veterans' benefit claims, to expedite professional licensing programs for veterans and their spouses, to give preferences in public employment to veterans, and to increase the provision of much-needed support services for veterans and their families; and

WHEREAS, these laws are dispersed throughout the Code of Virginia, making their accessibility difficult; and

WHEREAS, the impact of these myriad laws on improving the overall condition of veterans and their families is unknown; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services be directed to review current laws in Virginia that purport to assist Virginia's veterans and assess their effectiveness in meeting the needs of Virginia's veterans. In conducting this review, the Commissioner shall determine (i) whether the laws are essentially aspirational or whether they positively affect Virginia's veterans and (ii) whether sufficient performance measures are in place to gauge the effectiveness of these statutory programs and services for veterans. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services may form workgroups consisting of a wide array of interested parties and stakeholders, to conduct this review. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall cooperate with and provide assistance to the Commissioner, upon request. The Commissioner shall complete his review and report his findings and recommendations to the chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology on or before December 1, 2014.

The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary and report of his progress in meeting the requests of this resolution no later than the first day of the 2015 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary and report shall be submitted for publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.